Code to Culture

Bengaluru wasn’t always India’s startup capital. Before the traffic, the tech parks, and the relentless pace — it was a slow, deeply cultural, globally connected city shaped by community, music, and memory. In this episode of Code to Culture by UnboxingBLR , Malini Goyal sits down with Prem Koshy, third-generation custodian of the iconic Koshy’s, to trace Bengaluru’s transformation across decades....

In this Code to Culture Podcast, hosted by Malini Goyal, speaks to historian and author Ramjee Chandran in a deep conversation on the real history of Bengaluru. In this episode, we go beyond the popular 1537 origin story and trace the city’s roots back to the Western Ganga Dynasty, exploring how early political formations, Jain patronage, trade guilds, and rainwater harvesting systems shaped the f...

In this Code to Culture episode, Malini Goyal (Co-founder & CEO, UnboxingBLR) sits down with stand-up comedians Harman Preet Singh and Nithin M Kamath for a high-energy, Bengaluru-rooted conversation on growing up in Bangalore, college fest culture, and the evolution of Indian stand-up comedy. From Indiranagar’s once empty roads, street cricket memories, and Yelahanka childhood runs to KR Mark...

Bengaluru is changing faster than ever, but is the city planning ahead, or just reacting to growth? In this insightful conversation, two of Bengaluru’s most influential builders and city-shapers reflect on how the city has evolved, where it went wrong, and what it must do next. From memories of a quiet, tree-lined Bangalore to today’s exploding construction boom, traffic chaos, and infrastructure...

Bengaluru’s mobility captures the contradictions of a city bursting with ambition yet stuck in endless traffic, and in this Code to Culture episode, Malini Goyal sits down with Srinivas Alavilli (Program Senior Fellow – Sustainable Cities and Transport, WRI India), Deepesh Agarwal (Co-founder & CEO, MoveInSync) and Arun Pai (a corporate executive turned storyteller and founder of BangaloreWALK...

Bengaluru, India’s fastest-growing metropolis and global tech hub, is transforming rapidly. But what does it take to manage a 15-million-strong city spread across 720 sq. km? In this in-depth episode of the UnboxingBLR Podcast, hosts Malini Goyal and Prashanth Prakash sit down with Maheshwar Rao, former BBMP Commissioner and BMRCL (Bangalore Metro) MD, now leading the Greater Bengaluru Authority (...

Bengaluru’s unique weather history and geography have long defined its identity as the Garden City of India. But in recent decades, Bangalore's climate change has become a pressing reality,  with flooding, disappearing lakes, rapid urbanisation, and shifting rainfall patterns transforming the city’s landscape. On this episode of Code to Culture, we bring together Prakash Belawadi, acclaimed f...

From “oddball” to new normal—host Malini Goyal speaks with Sahar Mansoor (Founder, Bare Necessities) and Reva Jhingan Malik (Co-founder, Primalise) about choosing a sustainable lifestyle in a world of constant upgrades. They unpack Bengaluru’s shift toward conscious living: finding community, learning from indigenous practices, cutting plastic waste, and embracing minimalism without losing comfort...

From 10-minute delivery culture to the real cost of convenience, Malini Goyal hosts Sahar Mansoor (Founder, Bare Necessities) and Reva Jhingan Malik (Co-founder, Primalise) to unpack India’s new consumption cycle—quick commerce, packaging waste, upgrades, e-waste, and the psychology of instant gratification. Sahar traces the origins of Bare Necessities—from DIY zero-waste recipes to waterless refi...

From stories to action—Malini Goyal sits down with Sahar Mansoor (Founder, Bare Necessities) and Reva Jhingan Malik (Co-founder, Primalise) to unpack how everyday choices can build a sustainable Bengaluru. This conversation spans the big shifts in consumption from the 80s/’90s to today—plastic and FMCG culture, “10-minute” convenience—and how both guests re-aligned life with nature: off-grid livin...

Welcome to From Code to Culture, a podcast by UnboxingBLR. Tune in to our 11th episode for an entertaining joyride with Dr. Ravi Prakash, a Bengaluru-based cardiac surgeon turned vintage car collector. In this episode, we dive deep into his passion (or obsession!) for history, especially if it’s on wheels!  In this episode, our host Malini Goyal gets the scoop on how Dr. Ravi Prakash transitioned...

Welcome to From Code to Culture, a podcast by UnboxingBLR. Tune in to our 10th episode for a deeply personal and insightful conversation with Geetanjali Kirloskar—entrepreneur, artist, and social impact leader.  In this episode, our host Malini Goyal explores themes like loss, grief, resilience, and reinvention with Geetanjali, who opens up about life after the passing of her husband Vikram Kirlos...

Welcome to From Code to Culture, a podcast by UnboxingBLR.  Our 9th episode is in conversation with Dr. S. Somanath, former Chairman of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) – the man behind the successful Chandrayan 3 mission.  In this episode, our hosts Malini Goyal and Prashanth Prakash explore the story of India's space programme, starting from why ISRO was set up in Bengaluru, and so...

Welcome to From Code to Culture , a podcast by UnboxingBLR. This is our 8th episode featuring Kavan Kuttappa and Akhila Srinivas — pioneers, in their own right, of the most buzzy spaces in Bengaluru.  In this episode, we’re peeling back the layers of Bengaluru’s food scene — how has it evolved from being the ‘pub capital of India’ to being a space where micro-dining and supper clubs with strangers...

Welcome to From Code to Culture, a podcast by UnboxingBLR. This is From Code to Culture’s 7th episode featuring Angela F. Williams, President and CEO of United Way Worldwide, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious not-for-profits.  In this episode, Angela shares how United Way is transforming communities worldwide, detailing interventions in Hyderabad and Bengaluru that have spanned across...

Welcome to our 6th (!!!) podcast episode on From Code to Culture 🤯Whew, it’s been a ride 🚗 Before we take a little break for holiday season, join us in welcoming our final guest on FCTC for 2024 - Prashanth Prakash! In this episode, Prashanth details India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and how the startup world has changed since the time he started his entrepreneurial journey in Erasmic; a Bengal...

Welcome to our 6th (!!!) podcast episode on From Code to Culture 🤯 Whew, it’s been a ride 🚗 Before we take a little break for holiday season, join us in welcoming our final guest on FCTC for 2024 - Prashanth Prakash! In this episode, Prashanth details India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and how the startup world has changed since the time he started his entrepreneurial journey in Erasmic; a Benga...

We are so excited to welcome our next guest on FCTC; BIAL’s Hari Marar!  In this episode, Hari is tackling all of our burning  questions, and we had plenty to keep the conversation going: What sets Bengaluru International Airport apart from Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Mumbai? Are strategic partnerships with Uber, KSTDC, BLADE, and BMTC the secret to BIAL’s success? What lessons did the founding...

We are so excited to welcome our next guest on FCTC; BIAL’s Hari Marar! In this episode, Hari is tackling all of our burning  questions, and we had plenty to keep the conversation going: What sets Bengaluru International Airport apart from Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Mumbai? Are strategic partnerships with Uber, KSTDC, BLADE, and BMTC the secret to BIAL’s success? What lessons did the founding...

Welcome to From Code to Culture, a podcast by UnboxingBLR. This is From Code to Culture’s second episode featuring Nithin Kamath & Kailash Nadh; CEO & co-founder, and CTO at Zerodha, respectively.  Nithin Kamath deep dives into Zerodha’s journey - from being a virtually unknown broking firm in 2010 to commanding global attention as one of India’s most trusted trading platforms with a net v...

Welcome to From Code to Culture, a podcast by UnboxingBLR. This is From Code to Culture’s second episode featuring Nithin Kamath & Kailash Nadh; CEO & co-founder, and CTO at Zerodha, respectively.  Nithin Kamath deep dives into Zerodha’s journey - from being a virtually unknown broking firm in 2010 to commanding global attention as one of India’s most trusted trading platforms with a net v...

FCTC’s next two guests are a powerhouse in more ways than one - please welcome to the FCTC couch, Prakash Belawadi & V Ravichandar! In this episode, Prakash and Ravi get candid about Bengaluru’s glaring lack of public infrastructure despite Karnataka’s lofty Art & Culture budget allocation. While Prakash speaks on the ban on dubbing in the Kannada film industry, regional politics and langu...

FCTC’s next two guests are a powerhouse in more ways than one - please welcome to the FCTC couch, Prakash Belawadi & V Ravichandar! In this episode, Prakash and Ravi get candid about Bengaluru’s glaring lack of public infrastructure despite Karnataka’s lofty Art & Culture budget allocation. While Prakash speaks on the ban on dubbing in the Kannada film industry, regional politics and langu...

An architect, urbanist, and entrepreneur by profession, our next guest attempted to do what very few people dare - plan and execute a vision for Bengaluru’s redevelopment.  Drumroll please. Welcome our latest guest on the FCTC couch - Naresh Narasimhan! In this episode, Naresh Narasimhan deep dives into how Church Street’s TenderS.U.R.E project paved the way for new ways through which the city’s d...

Welcome to From Code to Culture , a podcast by UnboxingBLR. This is From Code to Culture’s first episode featuring Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw; the visionary founder of Biocon, and a true blue Bengaluru citizen. Discover how she built India’s largest pharma enterprise with a billion-dollar market cap post-license raj, and how India's biotech and IT sectors grew in tandem with her efforts, including t...